VA
158
In April, 94 cases were reported, and in May 355 cases, and of the total number of cases reported during these five months and a half, no less than 248 or 39.18 per cent occurred in No. 9 Health District. The Chinese population of the entire City is 168,260 and of No. 9 Health District is approximately 24,500 or 14.5 per cent, so that the number of cases in that district was clearly out of all proportion to its relative population. The surface overcrowding in this district, however, is not so acute as in the more central districts, nor can I say that the dwellings are structurally more insanitary than elsewhere in the City, but the class of people who reside in this district (Hakkas of the agricultural class and boat people mostly) are poorer and distinctly less cleanly in their domestic habits than the bulk of the Coolie class who make up our Chinese population.
A certain proportion of the Chinese residents in Wanchai also belong to these classes, and hence perhaps the reason why Wanchai (No. 2 Health District) and Sei Ying Poon (No. 9 Health District) have generally been more largely visited by Bubonic Plague than the other Health Districts of the Colony. The dirty habits of these people certainly receive every encouragement from the present building laws of the Colony, for back-to-back houses without any open spaces in the rear are still permitted even in new buildings, while the height of buildings as now erected and the arrangement of cubicles all tend to exclude light and encourage the accumulation of filth and household refuse in the many dark corners of these dwellings.
Owing to the annual recurrence of cases of Bubonic Plague in Sheung Fung Lane (No. 9 Health District), I condemned these houses as unfit for human habitation on March 2nd, and similar action has since been taken in respect of
VA
158
In April,94 cases were reported, and in May
355 cases,
es, and of the total number of cases reported during
these five months and a half, no less than 248 or 3918 per cent
occurred in No. 9 Health District. The Chinese population of
the entireCity is 168,260 and of No.9 Health District is
approximately 24,500 or 14.5 per cent, so that the number of
sly cases in that dixtrict. was clear out of all proportion to its
relative population. The surface overcrowding in this district.
however is not so acute as in the more central districts, nor
can I say that the dwelling are structurally more insanitary
chan elsewhere in the City, but the class of people who reside
in this district ( Hakkas of the agricultural class and boat
people mostly) are poorer and distinctly less cleanly in their
than domestic habits the bulk of the Coolie class who make up our
A
Chinese population. A certain proportion of the Chinese re-
sidents in Wanchai also belong to these classes, and hence
perhaps the reason why Wanchai ( No.2 Health District) and
Sei Ying Poon ( No.9 Health District) have generally been
more largely visited by Bubonic Plague than the other Health
Districts of the Colony. The dirty habits of these people
certainly receive every encouragement from the present build-
ing laws of the Colony, for back to back houses without any
open spaces in the rear are still permitted even in new build-
dings, while the height.of buildings as now erected and the
arrangement. of cubicles all tend to exclude light to encourage
the accumulation of filth and household refuse in the many dark
corners of these dwellings.
Owing to the annual recurrence of cases of
Bubonic Plague in Sheung Fung Lane ( No. 9 Health District)
I condemned these houses as unfit for human habitation on
March 2nd. and similar action has since been taken in respect
of
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